making cloth diaper

Making Cloth Diapers for Babies

Rachel Mendoza

Owning cloth diapers is investment parents are willing to take. It saves you money in the long run and it’s eco-friendly as well. Disposable diapers contain chemicals that can be harmful, while cloth diapers don’t.

Cloth diapers can come in a wide variety of prints that can complement any baby outfit.

Things You Will Need to Start Making Cloth Diapers

Sewing Machine

Whether you have a serger or zigzag machine, both are good.

Fabric

You will need three layers of fabric when making a cloth diaper. You will need additional fabric if you want it to be waterproof. The usual fabrics used are wool, cotton, bamboo, and hemp because of their absorbency, breathability, and softness. To be safer, choose the organic ones.

  • Outer Layer – The best fabrics to use for this layer are cotton french terry and cotton fleece. These fabrics are thick enough. They are also smooth on one side – you can face it towards the body of the baby for comfort or print the designs. Flannel can also be a good choice but it doesn’t stretch. Polyester fleece can also be a good one to use.
  • Inner Layer – Polyester microfleece is an excellent choice for this layer. It is very absorbent, soft enough to keep near the body, and stays dry. Other great choices are cotton french terry and Suedecloth.
  • Inserts – An effective and inexpensive fabric that can be used is Microfiber. They are not so good in contact with the baby’s skin but they work best as inserts.
  • Waterproof Layer – Polyutherane Laminated Polyester or PUL is a knit fabric that comes with a plastic backing. High-quality Polyester fleece can be used as well to a degree.

Thread and Needle

You will need a sturdy thread to make cloth diapers and the polyester thread is an excellent choice. Using a ballpoint needle is great if you are using waterproof material.

Fastenings

Cloth diapers are fastened with snaps, diaper pins, and Velcro bands.

Snaps are the best closures among the three. They do not get damaged when washed, easy to remove, and won’t irritate or pierce the baby’s skin.

When it comes to convenience, diaper pins are the way to go. However, they can get frustrating because of the layers of fabric that you have to pin and most will lose the sharpness of their point eventually.

When using Velcro, you have to use one of good quality. The cheap ones will lose their joining capacity after just a few washes.

Elastic

This is used for a snug fit along the legs. You can use ¼ inch wide elastics.

Useful Tip for Making Cloth Diapers

From Etsy shop Momgaroo

You will need super absorbent fabric to make good cloth diapers. Prewash the fabric at least three times because those that come straight from the shops are still stiff and will make it less absorbent. Washing them will make the fabric more absorbent, whether it’s hemp, cotton, or bamboo.

Free Downloadable Cloth Diaper Patterns

Here are some patterns you can use in making cloth diapers:

https://kimmysnabric.com/blogs/resources/free-cloth-diaper-pdf-patterns

https://www.thinking-about-cloth-diapers.com/cloth-diaper-patterns.html

About Charles Curry

Charles founded his Etsy shop Wall Decal Source in 2012. He opened his decal shop and decided to create a nursery decal for his sisters new baby. Funnily enough he published the decal as an item for sale on his Etsy shop and people really liked it. Well a few years later and his shop has been almost completely taken over by nursery wall decals. He must still be a kid at heart. As Charles tested and tried all sorts of methods to expand his shop he stumbled upon a few simple formulas for consistently growing Etsy sales and views.
Back to Courses